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MY OLD DREAM BECAME MY JOB

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Nthabi makes customised beadwork.       Photo by Kopano Monaheng
Nthabi makes customised beadwork. Photo by Kopano Monaheng

NEVER forget your childhood ideas and passions because they may help you.

When Nthabi Mosholi (49) from Pimville Zone 9 in Soweto lost her job, she was distraught but in the back of her mind was her childhood dream of becoming an artist.

Every time a relative had a birthday, Nthabi creates a beaded birthday present for her or him, so she went into this full- time.

But three years after starting her bead-weaving business, Mosholi Hand Crafts, Nthabi still suffers from many of the same problems she had when she first started.

These problems include support, the funding drought, marketing and a regular customer base.

She wondered if the reason business opportunities seem to favour men was because people judge her by how she looks.

“Look at what I have in my hand and not how I am dressed.”

She said collaboration is also important to help a business grow but you need a business partner who can find paying customers.

“I used to get excited when people placed orders because I only thought of the money that would come my way. But I learnt the hard way to only start a job after a customer paid a deposit. Too many people are quick to place orders, never to be seen again.

“Who’s going to buy a personalised piece with messages for someone else?

“I had to quickly change my attitude so as not to make a loss.

“Transport is another problem. I have no regular way to deliver commissions or buy new stock. I use taxis which can cause problems if I’m delivering a glass-framed piece.

“But I am a self-taught artist and that is what makes me proud of what I do.”

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